29 Mar When you can see Easter on the horizon…
Lent is probably the strangest season in the liturgical church year.
As a child & then a seminarian imbedded in the Lutheran tradition of worship, we sang more sombre hymns, omitted the alleluias in the communion service, draped the worship spaces in dark purple & it seemed we dimmed the lights in our sanctuary. Some churches & pastors I know won’t do weddings or allow flowers on the altar during Lent (not even for funerals). There’s a certain “make-believe” character about many of those ancient traditions and habits. It’s almost as if we have to pretend we don’t know Easter’s right there staring us in the face…wide-eyed with joy & jubilation. We get to Good Friday & act like we’re shocked when the tomb’s empty in 3 days’ time.
I’m glad we’re beyond that these days. I think we are surrounded by the effects of sin so much in our lives that a regular reminder that sin death & evil are already overthrown by Christ’s resurrection is necessary. A good Hallelujah now & again is good for your soul even if you bellow it out on Ash Wednesday. So this Sunday is the final Sunday in the season of Lent. Palm Sunday is just around the corner & I can see Easter from here.
Last Sunday we handed out small flyers with the Holy Week schedule on it. I hope you’re looking for ways to give a few of those to folks you know who won’t naturally be in worship somewhere over that time. Invite them. Give them a flyer. Invite them again. The worst that can happen is they say “No.”
As a reminder:
Palm Sunday – 10th April – 10:00 a.m.
Maundy Thursday – 14th April – 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday – 15th April – 9:00 a.m. (we’ll have the kettle on & a special morning tea that day)
Easter – 17th April – 10:00 a.m. (our regular worship time & hot cross buns after worship)
It’s going to be a wonderful week of worship…you don’t want to miss a service. The theme for the week is UnConventional Warfare…In a world where we see all too daily what traditional warfare does & achieves, it’s a great time to be taken into the hope of Jesus’ victory won not by bombs & bullets & brute force but by his life given for us on the cross & his life given to us from the resurrection forever.
Between now and then…one more Sunday in Lent. This week is an invitation to harvest…to go to those places Christ sends you as his ambassador and an agent of his kingdom.
Some reminders here too:
- Set your clocks back!
- Morning Tea after worship
- Giving Beyond Ourselves to ALWS to aid in the humanitarian relief efforts in the Ukraine
- AND on Saturday @ 11:00 a.m. in the Guide Hall a Time for Prayer in the Living Water family.
We’ll pray for each other, for our church as a whole, for our city & the issues facing us here, for the wider church in Australia & the world…for whatever seems appropriate that the Spirit has placed on your heart.
FINALLY
Don’t miss the Zoom Bible Study catch-up this Friday…Here’s how you get there…
Join Zoom Meeting — https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81176867898
Meeting ID: 811 7686 7898
Looking forward to a glorious few opportunities for God to work among and through us in the coming weeks.
I’m privileged to be sharing this ministry with each of you!
John
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.